IUCN threat status:

Distribution

At present, Perrin's beaked whales (Mesoplodon perrini) are only found in the northern Pacific Ocean. Four of the five known specimens of this whale species were found stranded along the coast of southern California within 85 kilometers of one another in the late 1970's. Although this suggests an eastern distribution within the North Pacific, there is currently too little information to come to any firm conclusions. Scars attributed to cookie cutter sharks (Isistius) that were found on one of the type specimens indicates that M. perrini may migrate through tropical regions where this shark is found in surface waters. However, it could also indicate a more northern distribution of Isistius.